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Courthouse debate is back

A Tampa council member asks the city staff to find out how much it would cost to make it usable.

By CARRIE WEIMAR
Published January 14, 2007

TAMPA - There have been many ambitious plans for the historic federal courthouse since it closed in 1998.

First, it was proposed as the home for two charter schools, a photography museum and offices for nonprofit organizations. Then Mayor Pam Iorio tapped it as the site for the Tampa Museum of Art, an idea that quickly fizzled for lack of interest.

So, for eight years, the neoclassical building at Florida Avenue and Twiggs Street has stood empty and unused.

Now Tampa City Council member Linda Saul-Sena wants to jump-start renovation plans once again. She has asked the city staff to prepare a report detailing the steps necessary to transform the 101-year-old building into usable space.

"Redevelopment of that building will be a significant catalyst for redevelopment in that part of downtown," Saul-Sena said. "Up to now, that area has been pretty quiet."

Saul-Sena said her immediate concern is improving the air quality inside the courthouse. She smelled mold during a tour, and the furniture and fixtures were covered with a fine layer of dust, she said.

Saul-Sena also wants the staff to explore grants that could be used to fund basic renovations. And she wants to re-open the process of soliciting proposals for the site.

"It's a wonderful building and an asset to the community," she said. "We don't want to have it not used."

The report is scheduled to be completed some time next month.

Despite the apparent inactivity, several parties have expressed interest in using the courthouse.

Members of the Florida Orchestra's board toured the facility as a possible location for a permanent office, according to an e-mail written by the city's creative industries manager, Paul Wilborn.

The e-mail said the orchestra is interested in the building but can't afford the renovations on its own and would have to team up with other cultural groups.

Vivian Salaga, principal architect with Atelier Architecture, said the courthouse is in remarkably good shape. She said she was impressed by the high ceilings, brass fixtures and marble wainscoting.

She toured the building recently with representatives from Hillsborough County schools and hopes they're interested in using the space.

"Part of this city's legacy is the architecture," Salaga said. "I feel very strongly it is the duty of the public bodies to preserve the historical legacy of the community."

School board member Candy Olson, who was on the tour, said the courthouse could be used as a high school for about 1,000 students who need a smaller, more structured learning environment.

Schools spokesman Steve Hegarty said the site shows promise but officials have not determined whether the project is feasible.

The federal courthouse closed after the Sam M. Gibbons U.S. Courthouse opened two blocks away in 1998. The federal government deeded the building to the city of Tampa in 2003, and city officials began asking for proposals to redevelop the site.

The winning proposal came from a group led by managed health care executive Pradip C. Patel, who planned to donate $6.3-million to aid in renovation.

The plan was scrapped after Iorio proposed using the courthouse for the Tampa Museum of Art in September 2005.

The biggest obstacle to finding a viable tenant for the courthouse is the lack of parking outside the building, said Mark Huey, the city's manager for economic development.

The parking shortage puts hotel or office use among the more feasible options, Huey said. But many people would like to see the building used for something that allows more members of the public to enjoy it, he said.

He cautioned against rushing into anything.

"The right use will come along," Huey said. "And it will honor the history of the building."

Carrie Weimar can be reached at 813 226-3416 or cweimar@sptimes.com.

[Last modified January 14, 2007, 00:15:28]